11 Years and Broken Branches
by The K2
Summary: James Potter returns to his home after been gone for almost 11 years. he had returned for sometime in those years but left mysteriously. He returns with a surprise. Secrets are revealed and bad blood is seen in the Potter Family. Related to Ilvermorny-A Harry Potter Story. One shot.


**This is a story I decided to write because I was not able to write anything in my other story-"Ilvermorny A Harry Potter Story".**

 **This story kind of serves as a future setting of what happens. I just realised that, that didn't make any sense.**

The little girl holding his hand asked him," Why are we here?"

"You will see."

He had never visited the house before but it sure looked magnificent. It was not as enormous as Hermione and Ron's house but it was still very impressive. Then a woman with fiery red hair opened the door. The moment she saw the man standing in front of her, she hugged him. It was as if she had not seen him in years.

"Oh my god, James you are back."

"Yes, I am back mom."

She hugged him again. She was quietly sobbing into his shoulder.

"Harry look who is here. Come out quickly."

"God I have missed you so much. I thought I would never see you again."

"I was not missing mom."

"I know, I know. Harry will you get out here", she yelled at the top of her lungs.

A man, a man with raven hair which had started to whiten at the sides came out.

"What is it Ginny? Why are you yelling?"

He saw his son standing in front of him. Unlike his wife he did not run and hug him. He just stood there looking at him.

"Hello dad."

James rushed over to his father to give him a hug. Harry stood there holding him, like he had never held him before like he would never hold him again.

"It has been some time James."

"Yes, it has dad. I have a lot to tell you guys."

"I think that the last time we saw you…"

"was at Rose and Scorpius's wedding."

"Yeah."

Ginny had rushed to the kitchen to get some food. When she returned she saw that the girl was standing in the corner.

"You can come and sit over here you know."

The girl shook her head silently.

Then James said," Yeah come here."

Then she slowly moved and sat near James on the sofa.

"James who is this?"

"This is Caitlin Stewart."

They were still giving him a questioning look. They did not know who the little girl was. Obviously, how would they.

"She is your granddaughter."

"What?" Harry almost yelled. After what he had seen he did not get surprised easily.

"James you seriously are not joking right now."

"Mom do you seriously think this is something I would joke about."

"They are Papaw and Mama", the girl asked James.

"Yes, they are Caitlin."

She ran and gave Ginny a hug. Ginny was too surprised to return the hug.

"Don't you think you should explain a little."

"Yeah. So after graduating I told you I would do a world tour. So I started with Australia. I worked as an intern there in their government. They taught me some auror skills and general government work- paperwork, international relations and stuff like that. I got the chance to explore Australia a lot. It's a peaceful place. I met Caitlin's mother Jessica in a bar. "

"You were supposed to go on a world tour not get a job."

"Dad I could not have kept using your money. I thought I would quit when there would be nothing left tot explore but Jessica and I got serious, so I decided to stay a little longer. But then Jessica got pregnant unexpectedly. I could not leave her. We moved into a small place. Caitlin was born on 1st February, around three years after I had started the tour. The next one and a half years were amazing. We had fun and just watching her grow was the most amazing experience of my life."

"I sense a 'but' coming."

"But…" he continued with a sigh," things started getting messy, we started fighting about everything, every little thing. In the end I decided that us fighting was not good for Caitlin. So I left."

"You left?" Ginny asked him.

"I decided to finish my world tour. The Australian Government had already given me a degree and a certificate of excellence. I went to France to Bulgaria to Egypt and other places in Europe and Africa. I saw lots of stuff there. Weird and dangerous creatures that only Hagrid would have found fascinating. Dark magic. I got into some tricky situations that caused more than a few injuries. I wandered about for three years. I had earned a decent amount of money working for 5 years so I used it."

"I sense another 'but' coming."

"You sense a lot of 'buts' dad. I used to visit Caitlin occasionally so that she wouldn't forget me. It was around Christmas that I returned to Australia for another visit. Jess had contacted Dragon Pox. The healers could not do anything. It had evolved and it was painful to see her like that. I was lucky I got there in time because a week later Jess passed away."

"I am sorry James."

"I decided to end my tour and stuff. I took everything and went to America."

"You went to America. Why not here? People know you here."

"That is the exact problem mom. There would too many questions, vague conjectures and I didn't want Caitlin to go through that."

"I got a job as junior ambassador for MACUSA to other ministries."

"But you are not even American", Ginny said surprised.

"That is what makes me best for the job. I am well travelled. I know other countries. The pay is ok but I get free time which I spend on reading, Caitlin and Olivia."

"Olivia Lance?" Both his parents asked in shock.

"Oh yeah. I met her at work. We went for coffee and I told her everything that had happened. She used to come over to my place to see Caitlin. Caitlin loves her. Then things happened between us. And after a year I asked her to move in with me and she said yes. Actually I moved in with her. Her place is bigger."

"It was not awkward at all."

"Nope.."

"Papaw…" Caitlin was trying to get to Harry.

"You asked her to call me papaw", Harry asked picking her up.

"You told me when I was 18 that when I would have kids and they gave me hell you would laugh at my face." Harry was smiling.

"Yeah I sure did."

"You told me that they would call you papaw. So I have told her since the beginning that when she meets you she has to call you papaw and mom mama."

Ginny was half crying half laughing.

"Its not like I have been gone completely. I did come for Teddy and Victoire's wedding and Fred's wedding."

"Well you dared not to miss Teddy's wedding. He would have killed you. Now you are here for Lily's wedding."

James nodded.

"Have you been in contact with anyone."

"I have been in touch with Dom permanently. Also Augustus, Matthew, even Parker…"

Then the door on the corner of the living room opened. A man with black hair and emerald eyes i.e. Harry's eyes came out. On seeing him James stood up. The man went for a hug but James just stuck his hand out.

Albus shook his hand.

"Hello Mr. Potter", James said.

"Why so formal James?"

"That's how my parents taught me to treat strangers."

The smile on the man's face broke.

"James.." Harry said from behind but he was cut off.

"What dad? You thought I would not find out what he did. Or you were hoping that I didn't find out. Well guess what dad, I did find out."

"James, listen to me", Albus's voice was breaking.

"Forget it, how was the wedding, I am so sorry I could not attend. How is she?"

"James listen to me." He ignored it.

A woman came out of the same room that Albus had come out from. She had dark auburn hair, brown doe eyes and full lips. On seeing James she froze in her tracks.

"Oh." That was all she managed to say.

James was looking at her intently.

"Hello, Alice, how are you doing."

"James please listen to me", Albus's voice was almost pleading.

"There is nothing you can tell me that I will believe."

"I meant to tell you."

"If you meant to tell me you would have told me Albus."

"You were not here."

"Seriously, that is your best argument. I was not here."

"You know the fact that you wanted to date her would have stung a bit, but the fact that you didn't even ask is what really hurt. There are lines Albus, lines you do not cross. But you crossed them. You did not care about the consequences. What did you think that being dad's favourite would get you through this. "

He turned to leave but Albus caught his hand.

"Leave my hand or you will never raise yours again."

"James, I thought family used to forgive each other."

He jerked his hand away.

"Yes, they do. But that is the thing Albus you and I are not family anymore."

"We are brothers."

"I am not your brother. Don't call me your brother. I trusted my brother. You", he said pointing his finger to Albus's chest" you, I don't know you. You know for years I used to hate myself thinking that I had failed you that I should have stopped you from getting into that mess. And I must thank you for not letting me feel guilty anymore. We had a bond. We had a trust, and you broke it. So lets just keep up appearances for dad and mom's sake, but you and I are done forever."

Albus was crying, Alice still looked stunned. Ginny was horrified to see her family like this.

"Lets go Caitlin, its time to leave."

She jumped from Harry's lap and quickly ran and took James's hand.

"Say bye to Papaw and Mama."

"Bye." She said waving her hand with all her might.

"Bye sweetheart."

"We will visit soon mom don't worry."

"Daddy who is that? Is he your brother." Caitlin asked him pointing at Albus.

"No, he is not my brother."

He took her hand and walked out of a Potter house, the same way he had eleven years ago.


End file.
